


Take Care Of It

by 318



Series: Asguardians Of The Galaxy [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Brotherly Love, Fix-It, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-29 05:02:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18771742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/318/pseuds/318
Summary: A time travel device, much loss and a broken God of Thunder. Not the best combination, but Loki had worked with less.





	Take Care Of It

**Author's Note:**

> Another day, another fix-it. This fic actually took some time, and was meant to be much shorter. It plays with an idea I had way before Endgame, but fits in well with the canon. I quite liked how it turned out.  
> Endgame Spoilers, and still no native speaker. Have fun!

Thor had always liked beholding the stars. True, in his youth he mostly took one look, found them pretty and went on with whatever he was doing. The older he got, the more time he spent gazing longingly at them. 

Actually, he _still_ was in his youth, despite feeling like an old man. He didn’t sleep very well on board of the Benatar. After the first few weeks, he had been carrying on the drinking and doing nothing, Quill sat down and talked a about a few rules with him. He couldn’t help, but the method Quill used to restrict the amount of booze and laziness Thor was allowed to have reminded him on the restrictions they gave Groot with his computer games. He yielded to Quill’s arguments, nevertheless. He couldn’t forget the conversation with his mother that was gifted to him from the Norns. 

Essentially remembering this conversation was the main reason he couldn’t sleep and was sitting in front of the wide window in his room now. He was thinking. After five years spent in a haze, using his brain was hard. But he had time enough. The Guardians took it slow. Beside looking for Gamora, they had to adjust to a galaxy where half of the population had been missing far too long. More precisely, the whole galaxy had to adjust to gaining back the lost. It wasn’t easy, but when had life been easy? 

Still, Thor’s thoughts lingered in the past. The opportunity he had had with his mother - it had been so precious. He couldn’t stop musing about whether he was able to do the same with the other people he had lost forever. Before he had left Earth with the Guardians, he had managed to steal Banner’s access code for the time travel device they created to send Steve back. They hadn’t destroyed the machine, it was safely tucked away in one of Stark’s many store rooms. Thor knew exactly what he had to do to use it. 

Despite being drunk most of the time back on Midgard when the Avengers discussed time travel, he captured the basic idea. If he changed events that happened long ago or even took things of importance, he would destroy the universe. That’s why Steve had brought Mjölnir back to when Thor took it from Asgard. 

If he didn’t want to rapture reality, he wasn’t allowed to speak to anyone about what has happened to him, what would happen to them. So only insignificant conversations were possible. 

While he looked down on his changed appearance, mournful for he would never pass as the old Thor, a beautiful sun came in sight. Thor stopped his train of thoughts for a moment. Watching the sun shine, any sun shine, made his longing only worse. True, he’d liked to speak to Odin, once more. Preferable about Hela and Ragnarok. He would enjoy a nice evening with the Warriors Three and Sif, just them, drinking and reminiscing about old adventures. But the one he truly longed to speak to for one last time wasn’t his father or his friends. It was the man who foolishly lay down his life so Thor could survive.

He averted his eyes from the radiant sun in front of him and turned his back to the window. It was wrong to enjoy the sight, when the other person he was promised to witness with wasn’t there. 

If Loki ever missed Thor on lonely nights he spent as Odin? If their roles were reversed, Thor imagined he would. Everything was much better with Loki by his side, a few exceptions aside. Suddenly he wished he had spent more days on Asgard at this time. He hadn’t visited at all, if he remembered correctly. Once, a few weeks after he left, to collect a few things from his room. But the thought of Asgard without Frigga and Loki was nothing he could bear then. He had felt guilty, because he had left his father to mourn on his own. Only it hadn’t truly been Odin.

This thought suddenly made him gasp. Was it the answer to his question?

 

Although the idea sprang to his mind, he prepared his attempt at time travel thoroughly. Of course without informing the Guardians. He knew they would try to stop him, and had no intention to fight his friends. 

The preparations took him a few months, but Thor was in no hurry. With time travel, the whole point was about having all time in the world. 

Firstly, he started regaining his old fitness. He kept the beard and the long hair, but worked hard to lose weight. Simultaneously he asked Rocket, expert to all kinds of prosthetics, to fix his right eye. He couldn’t talk to Loki with one eye brown. It took Rocket a few weeks, but then he found someone who could change the eye to Thor’s natural colour. The rabbit joked a lot about Thor’s vanity, and Thor did nothing to correct him. To rise suspicion was the last thing he could allow himself in this delicate situation.

The next weeks Thor spent with examining what exactly he could say and what he couldn’t. The whole idea of talking to his brother in the disguise of Odin was that Loki had to be careful what to say and how to act. If he was busy with pretending to be their father, he hopefully wouldn’t question Thor’s changes and potentially odd behaviour further. 

Of course, it wasn’t exactly what he had hoped for. He’d liked having a conversation with Loki eye to eye, but he had squandered this opportunity already during his last time travel. Only after months of musing, Thor realized it was perfect for his means. The Thor he would pretend to be thought his brother dead, and if he chose to mourn together with his father, not even his paranoid genius brother would suspect anything. 

When he had decided on which topics the conversation should include, he was ready. All he needed then was an opportunity to sneak out of the Benatar and use Stormbreaker to go to Earth. 

His chance came when one night the Guardians stopped on a backwater planet, planning on spending the evening in an infamous local bar and get wasted. When Thor declined to join them, they didn’t become leery. Instead, they patted his back proudly and wished him a good night. 

All of them had noticed the transition Thor went through during the last months. Executing his plan gave him joy, and he started laughing again. Of course they had no idea what the real reason for Thor’s change was. They thought he was starting to get better, leaving the past finally behind, when in truth all he could think about was returning to the past. Their empathy burdened Thor’s conscience, but not nearly enough to reevaluate. 

So all he had to do was making sure to not touch Mantis (she would have seen right through him - his heart sang with pleasant anticipation) and when they finally vanished inside the bar, he swung Stormbreaker and finally headed to Midgard. 

 

Everything went according to plan. The Avengers facility which contained the time machine did still accept Thor’s handprint and his nostalgically murmured “Point Break” (he missed Stark, sometimes) as well and Bruce’s code still worked. He assumed what he did to operate the device was correct (he flew a spaceship build by an ancient civilisation once, how hard could a thing constructed by mortals be) and instructed Friday to bring him back. 

When everything was done, Thor closed his eyes and told Friday to send him away. He felt the rush of the Quantum Realm, and then all went quiet again. Carefully, he popped open one eye. 

Yes, he was still in Stark’s storage, but the time machine was gone. In its stead parts of half constructed Iron Man suits lay all over the place. All went right. Although he could have headed directly to Asgard, he had decided to first make sure he reached the right time. Which he did. Thor heard footsteps, so he hurried away. Time to go home. 

 

He arrived at Asgard around noon. Thor swallowed, put a hood over his face and allowed himself to drift between the Asgardians. The best time to speak alone with Loki would be around dinner, and he had a few hours until then. He visited the market places, drank a jar of his favourite mead and watched longingly the sparring matches of a few children, listening to their lighthearted laughter. It was a long time ago when he had found pure joy without the slightest hint of resentment in fighting. He had known nothing, then.

For the first time, he was glad for Loki sending Heimdall into exile during his reign. Thor didn’t possess the ability to cloak himself from the gatekeeper’s sight, and explaining his origin to Heimdall would have broken his plan. So he was actually able to enjoy himself and pretend he really came home from his search for the Infinity Stones simply to speak to his father. 

When evening came, Thor left Stormbreaker, it would raise the wrong questions. He made his way to the palace. Growing up there, he had no need to use the front entrance and snuck in through a servant passage. He was familiar with Odin’s routines and didn’t reckon for Loki to change them much. After all the last his brother needed was arousing attention to the Allfather’s changes. 

Apparently, Thor was right. Around the time the council meetings had ended every day for the last thousand years, Odin made his way to his private chambers. Thor awaited him in the hallway. When the two Einherjar who accompanied Odin stopped and drew their spears, he lifted his hood and forced a smile upon his face. His hands shook in nervousness, therefore he dropped to his knee quickly and brought his arm to his chest. “Father,” he said with a steady voice. Good. 

The Einherjar relaxed. Loki seemed surprised about Thor’s presence, but he didn’t slip. “My son”, he replied in their father’s echoing voice. “What a welcoming sight. What brings you home?” He motioned for Thor to stand.

“I am glad to see you well, Father,” Thor said. “If you may fulfill the request, I’d like joining you for a private dinner. I wish to speak to you.”

Loki narrowed Odin’s eye slightly. “Do you have something important to tell me?”

Thor hesitated. He had anticipated the question, but never made a definite decision what to say. The wrong answer could ruin his plan. “No,” he finally uttered. “You are the only family I have left, and I’d like to spend time with you. I know the duties of a king are consuming, so I only ask this one evening of you.” 

If Loki was pleased by his statement or wary, Thor couldn’t tell. He simply nodded and gestured one of his guards. “Arrange a meal in my private dining room, for me and the crown prince only.”

Said crown prince let out the breath he was holding. So far his plan has worked.

 

The meal went like Thor remembered it from countless occasions. While eating, they didn’t speak much. Loki inquired after Thor’s progress, and Thor told him what his past-self had achieved at that point in time (nothing, in hindsight). In return, Loki spoke about Asgard’s politics at length, probably to wear Thor out. 

After a servant had carted the last remains of the food away, the brothers were left to themselves. Loki seemingly decided to take matters in his hands, then. “What’s on your mind?”

He knew exactly Thor wouldn’t dare to avoid a question like this from Odin, so Thor had to play along. “I wasn’t quite myself lately. My Midgardian friends counselled me to no longer flee my grief. At first I ignored them, but… They may have a point. Midgardians tend to address their emotions and problems much more directly than Asgardians. They don’t have enough time to put them aside for a few centuries, I suppose. I want to try it. And who else could I come to?”

He was sure Loki hadn’t to feign Odin’s disapprovement. “An Asgardian warrior mustn’t surrender to sentiment. Nor the prince, much less the king.” 

Thor’s smile was strained. “I didn’t imply we should surrender and went to our chambers, weeping. I merely suggested we are allowed to remember people we lost and I’d like to indulge in this activity. Do you disagree, father?” 

Odin’s lips were pressed into thin lines. “If you wish so.” He glanced at Thor thoughtfully. Although he had tried to regain his old looks, the passing years hadn’t been kind to Thor. He couldn’t hide the shadows or the scars, not even the remorse in his eyes and he knew it. He just hoped his brother would believe him. To say he mourned for his mother and brother was not even a lie. 

The silenced stretched for a few moments, and at once Thor was nervous again. Back on Earth, when he had been especially depressed, he sometimes visited the wide fields with commemorative plaques. There were always some mortals, murmuring softly with their loved ones, even if they couldn’t hear them. Speaking to his dead brother right in front of him felt like talking to his grave. 

Thor pulled himself together. He had foreseen a situation like this. He smiled, sincere for a change. “Did I ever tell you how Loki stabbed me for the first time?”

Just like when Thor had told the story to Bruce and Brunnhilde, he could see Loki’s fondness of the memory in Odin’s single eye. 

From then on the conversation started to get easier. They sat together for hours, taking turns in talking and listening. Once or twice, Thor noticed Loki slip, when he shared details Odin wouldn’t know about. He carried it off well, only smiling to himself. Loki had to be quite comfortable if he made mistakes, slightly as they were. 

When the last of the mead was finished, Thor asked a question which had haunted him for years by now and he longed to hear the answer, as disguised as it came. “Are you angry with me for freeing Loki? If I didn’t drag him along, he would still be alive.”

That was not true, but Thor wanted to know Loki’s thoughts on the matter. The Loki-Odin took his time before he spoke. “No. I should be, for you disobeyed me that day and committed high treason. But he is not dead because of you. That wasn’t your mistake. Despite all his flaws, Loki knew exactly what he did that day.” 

He sighed. Thor swallowed a few tears and nodded. “Do you think he ever realized how much I love him?”

Odin’s face changed from surprise to confusion. Thor decided it wasn’t Loki’s fault, their father would have looked exactly the same if he said the word “love” in front of him. That wasn’t something Asgardians did often. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was he got the opportunity to tell Loki he loved him, for he had no recollection when he told him the last time. To be never able to say these words again was one of Thor’s major regrets in life (he had tables where he ordered things like people he lost, regrets and mistakes, for when he truly felt like self-destruction).

Loki changed the subject, as Thor had expected. “Tell me more about the Infinity Stones. Maybe together we can think of other places to look.”

Thor shrugged. He had said all that was on his mind, he didn’t really care what they spoke about now. Rubbing his right eye absentmindedly, he said, “You know as much as I do. The Mind Stone is on Midgard with the Avengers. The Tesseract is here, down in your vault. The Aether is safe with the Collector. There were rumours about the Time Stone and a sorceress from some backwater planet, but no one knows anything for sure. The Power Stone is missing. This applies to the Soul Stone as well.”

He noticed Odin’s narrowed eye but thought nothing of it. Even if Loki had insight, it came too late to save Asgard. 

“Would you like to go to the vault and inspect the Tesseract?” 

Frowning, Thor answered, “Of course, if you think it could be -”

He never got to say “useful”, for Loki had raised Gungnir and he was tossed back the wall behind him. There unseen strings kept him in place and prevented even the slightest move. Thor stared at his brother in shock. “Father, what are you doing?”

“We both know I am not your father.” Thor’s heart nearly stopped. Loki had figured him out. If he didn’t come up with a really good excuse in the next two seconds, the whole universe would be at risk. And he had - nothing. 

Only then Loki stood. He hadn’t called any guards, he clearly planned to deal with Thor on his own. The figure of Odin came nearer, and it lost the almost perfect conformity with the Allfather. More of the trickster shone through in the way he slowly drew closer to his helpless prey. Because Thor felt like prey in this moment. Stupid, stupid prey. Maybe he could summon his lightning… But he knew damn well that _this_ was his fault, his alone. If he wanted to keep the universe whole, he better let his brother kill him instead of fighting him. To his surprise, he didn’t regret he probably had to die. He only regretted Loki still wore the veil of their father. He would’ve liked to look him in the eye if he had to go.

“Do you wonder how I discovered?” Not even the voice sounded like Odin anymore. “You are good, I give you that. During our conversation, you said a few things that didn’t sound right, but never enough to nail you down to it. You must know my son very well, but Thor doesn’t speak of his dead brother the way you did. And foremost he doesn’t know where I sent the Aether.”

Typical Loki, exhibiting his own superiority like this. So while Thor thought he did pretty well, Loki had been trying the whole evening to expose him… expose him as… what did he just say?

“You think I’m not Thor?”, he asked, dumbfounded. 

Loki snickered. Very king-unlike. “I _know_ you are not him. And I know who sent you. Your mission is to retrieve the Tesseract, isn’t it?”

Oh no. All colour left Thor’s face. How could his genius brother be so foolish? He thought Thor was one of Thanos’s minions. The peace he made with dying only moments ago left him. If he was to die, it would not be because the accusation of working for the Titan. Even now Thor had a little pride left.

He couldn’t help himself. He burst into laughter. “You… you think I’m here to steal the Tesseract? Are you crazy? I’m Thor Odinson, the one and only. I don’t care about that damned cube. If you want to kill me, do it, but do not think I’m one of these mindless freaks Thanos has working for him.”

Loki’s voice almost sounded gently when he answered. “Oh, don’t be afraid, you will die soon enough. But I have to learn what you know first, obviously.” 

He raised Gungnir, and now Thor panicked. “No, no, no, don’t you dare looking in my mind!” Gungnir advanced towards his brow, and he actually started to beg, all pride forgotten. “Don’t do it, please, you have no idea what-”

Gungnir touched his temple, and the dining room vanished. Thor screamed, and when he was able to open his eyes again, the scenery had changed. He and Loki, still in disguise, were there, and there was another Thor, bent over the time travel device, pressing a few buttons. Thor tried to speak again, but Loki’s magic didn’t allow it. So he watched helplessly, for he couldn’t move a muscle. Loki frowned at the picture in front of him. “I think we have to go back a little further…” His voice trailed of. He moved his fingers, a faint green glow misting around them, and they were on the Benatar again, watching Thor and the Guardians playing a rather silly game Tony had taught Nebula once. 

“Nebula!” If Thor hadn’t known her name, it would’ve been hard to decipher Loki’s hiss. He glared at the blue woman in disgust, before he again flicked his fingers.

The battle against Thanos came to existence around them. Thor watched himself wielding Stormbreaker and Mjölnir in unison, a terrible sight, but the knowledge it hadn’t been enough to save all weighed down on his heart. His brother was clearly confused, spinning himself around to gather all that was behind them. 

“Something’s not right!” He claimed, and Thor could only agree in silence. Nothing’s been right in a long time. 

Loki again wove his magic, and the images around them started to move, like one of these Midgardian movies Tony used to love so much, but it was a very sickening movie of Thor’s forfeited life, only backwards. The came to a sudden hold when Loki spotted Frigga, only to get faster until - the Statesman. 

Thor tried his best to avert his eyes, but there was no escaping the slaughter of his people, of Heimdall and of his brother, who stood next to him in horrid fascination. They both watched Thanos’s fist closing, squeezing all life out of Loki and throwing him to the side. Only when the pictures faded to nothingness, Loki managed to shake off his stiffness. The green mist surrounded them, and the images ran backwards, faster and faster until a frighteningly similar scene manifested. 

They were on Svartalfheim again, Loki’s eyes closing, Thor screaming in agony, Jane standing helplessly behind them. Up from this point they watched the film of Thor’s life in order. Loki sometimes accelerated, for example when Thor and Jane were in rather… compromising situations, but otherwise kept track of each of Thor’s actions closely. His magical hold on his brother was lessened, nevertheless, and so Thor was able to close his eyes to Ragnarok and the destruction of the Statesman and his second battle against Thanos in the plains of Wakanda. 

Loki’s breath slightly hitched when he watched Thor cutting Thanos’s head off, but Thor could only feel the grief, for this victory had been in vain. Meaningless.

He could feel his brother’s gaze wandering towards him, when the main part of the following years was spent in a shack, with drinking until passing out. He didn’t face him. 

After what felt like hours, and probably had indeed lasted hours, they were back on Asgard, in their father’s dining room. Loki looked at his brother with an expression of utter horror. Gungnir fell clattering to the ground, and Thor was back on his feet. He carefully supported the sudden weight of his body with a hand on the wall, before he bent over and vomited, falling to his knees. 

Thumbs up, Thor. Now he had destroyed the universe completely. Only half of an annihilation of all life wasn’t enough for the amount of stupidity he obviously held. No, no. Go big or go home, seemingly that applied to all his failures. 

A shaking hand reached for him, hovering over his shoulder, afraid to touch. Thor withdrew carefully, totally wrapped up in self-hatred. “Drop that thing,” he snarled and pointed at Odin’s form. “You know I know… you know.”

Loki raised from where he knelt next to his brother, and when he stood on two feet again, green eyes and black hair were back where they belonged. His composure was perfectly nonchalant. 

“It’s… nice to wear my own face again, for a change,” Loki murmured and slowly lifted a hand to his nose. 

Thor laughed joylessly. “You could have had that without destroying reality, but that would be too simple for you. You’re exactly the same fool as I am.” 

“Thor-”

“Don’t,” Thor hissed. “Just don’t.”

He pushed himself up, braced one arm against the wall and came to his feet with a great effort. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Loki said softly. “To what extent did I break reality?”

With narrowed eyes, he gave his brother a look. “You’re sure you’re my brother, the evil genius? With you learning about the past… the future… for fuck’s sake, you know what I mean! A branch of time will emerge from now on, and then there will be time loops and… stuff. You don’t need me to explain to you, you heard Banner yourself. You probably know a lot more about time travel than he anyway.”

Smirking, Loki nodded. “I do. So I know what to do to prevent the universe descending into chaos, too. That is to say nothing. If I follow the track you showed me, nothing will be destroyed.” 

“But you won’t do it,” Thor gave back with a bitter voice. 

Now Loki appeared confused, but Thor didn’t buy it. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you die? You die a horrible death by the hand of a being you dread, for nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say for nothing. Clearly, you made it out alive. And he is dead by now. Or will be. However you wish to phrase it.” He hesitated for a moment. “Do you truly think I’d like to live in an universe shattering?” 

“Sounds like something you would enjoy,” Thor muttered, eyes fixed on his brother. “Did you just imply… You died _for my sake_?”

Cocking his head, Loki asked, “Is there another explanation? I cannot see into the head of my future self, but I would never expect to try and murder a Titan with two Infinity Stones and succeed.”

He had silenced his brother, whose eyes began to fill with tears. He never considered… what a fool he was… 

Loki patted his shoulder, embarrassed. “No need to be sentimental. It isn’t me you want to thank.”

“I don’t want to thank you,” Thor exclaimed. “I want to drag you down into the dungeons and keep you there, where he will never be able to lay hands on you!”

“Aye. Dying in Surtur’s flames sounds far more appealing to me. We could organize Ragnarok sooner, maybe next week. I can’t wait.”

Thor sighed. “Why are you so unfazed? I just showed you a future where everything I hold dear is destroyed, including you. Does it even bother you?”

Shrugging, Loki explained, “Oh, I sometimes imagine my death, and usually it’s much worse. The Other have had a few ideas, I tell you… not for the faint-hearted. Now I don’t have to worry anymore.” 

Although Thor could tell Loki was lying, he just nodded. Clearly his brother wasn’t inclined to let his guard down, and Thor couldn’t help him if he didn’t let him. One thing he had learned during his five years as Lebowski (he had searched for the reference, after. It was so much worse than Point Break, but he couldn’t even be angry): Nobody could help you if you don’t decide to help yourself first. 

‘I am truly a complete failure,” Thor declared. “You’re here, alive, actually listening for once, and still there is nothing I can do.”

Loki thoroughly examined the floor between their boots. “In the future, are we close?”

“You saw us sleeping in the same bed without murdering each other. What do you think?”

“That we try?”

“You could say so. There wasn’t enough time to reconcile properly… But we were headed the right direction.”

Many minutes elapsed in silence. “I should go”, Thor finally said. “Is there anything…”

Chuckling nervously, Loki shrugged. “I don’t know. This isn’t a situation I’m familiar with.”

Thor stared at him. “I’d like to give you a hug, only... not really _you_ -you, I guess.”

His brother rolled his eyes. “I’d like to stab you, but not really _you_ -you, I guess.”

“Oh, how I missed this,” Thor grumbled. He took hold of the time-travel-wristband, put it on and hesitated.

“I can’t do it,” he determined. 

“I’m pretty sure you have to push this button…”

Irritated, Thor wrenched his hand from Loki’s grip. “I know how it works. But I can’t leave Asgard.”

“You have to. The longer you stay, the more you change.”

Hopelessly, Thor found his eyes. “And if it’s already too late? Then why would I choose to spend my last moments away from you and Asgard?”

“Don’t be a crybaby. I already promised you to take care of it.”

“You promise many things.” Loki’s deadly stare hushed him. 

“This is goodbye,” he said icily. 

Thor sighed and summoned Stormbreaker. “Don’t be too hard on your brother. He doesn’t always realize it, but he loves you more than anything.”

“Go,” Loki hissed, his stoic facade flawed, eyes shining. 

“Goodbye,” Thor smiled sadly. 

“Until we meet again,” Loki grinned, and his face vanished as Thor went to the Quantum Realm. 

 

He came back to the Avengers facility exactly at the moment he had left it. Distrustfully, he eyed his surroundings. Nothing seemed changed. If the reality was destroyed, he would notice it, would he not?

He took Stormbreaker and returned to the Benatar. The planet where she was parked, which name he already had forgotten, seemed alright.

Thor went to his bunk and sat at the bed. He was tired and disappointed. Tired, because he had no idea how long it was since he last slept. Disappointed, because against all odds there had been a tiny hope in the back of his mind he didn’t want to admit. A hope that Loki somehow accomplished the impossible. Angry at himself, Thor grabbed an empty bottle and threw it against the next wall and cursed. 

A childish action. But didn’t he behave like a child? Screaming to the Norns how _unfair_ it was. Since when was the universe a fair place? He should be on his knees, praising the Norns for the chance to talk to his brother without wrecking the galaxy. And here he was, ungrateful and selfish. 

Suddenly he was on his feet again. He couldn’t be on his own right now. And he didn’t drink himself into a stupor for weeks now. Time to rejoice in old habits. 

 

If he thought the other Guardians would be wary about him joining them, he was disabused. They all were gathered around a table, busy with arm wrestling. Mantis waved, giggling, and even if Quill rolled his eyes, he smirked. Around them, a bunch of aliens from all over the galaxy was gathered. Rocket was in charge of the bets, and cheered when Nebula managed to defeat a muscled guy without an effort. He stood, shouting, but Drax only had to pet the sword on his hip for the guy to immediately take to his heels. Thor headed to the bar. 

After a few minutes, Groot came to him, eagerly pulling on his sleeve. “I am Groot!”

“Sorry, I don’t feel like wrestling right now.”

“Come on, Pirate Angel!”, Drax shouted excited. “Don’t be a goose!”

“Chicken,” Rocket corrected him. “You have to work on your phrases.”

Quill laughed. “Afraid?”

Groaning, Thor came over. They wouldn’t leave him alone. He grasped Nebula’s hand and let her beat him without much defence. She frowned, as much as it was possible for her. 

“I don’t let you go if you don’t even try,” she threatened. 

“Fine.” Thor took a huge gulp from his bottle and went for it. When he made an effort, even Nebula’s enhanced arm couldn’t do much against his strength. 

Now everyone in the bar wanted to challenge him. Accepting his fate, Thor defeated all of them. With time, and with more booze, he started to enjoy it. Soon he was laughing with his friends, mocking sore losers and raising his bottle to fair opponents.

He all but drank his sorrow away, when a lean, blue man stepped forwards and smirked at him. Thor was busy squabbling with Rocket and only reluctantly turned to eye his new contender. The first thing he noticed were intricate but delicate ornaments on the man’s naked arms. He recognised them. But how did a Jotunn end up on a planet like this?

Slowly he lifted his gaze to the Jotunn’s face. Only then reality struck him like a blow. He fell from his chair and crawled backwards. It couldn’t be. 

“Are you alright?”

“What happened?”

“I am Groot!”

“Too much booze?”

The voices of his friends became blurred, he couldn’t see the concern written on their worried faces. All he could see was a Jotunn with the features of his dead brother. 

“Not the welcome I expected, I admit,” the Jotunn said calmly. Like one man the Guardians drew their weapons and pointed them at him.

“Who are you?”, Quill snarled. 

“I’m hurt. Didn’t you tell your friends about me?” The way his eyebrow cocked…

“You’re dead,” Thor rasped. 

“Am I?” He raised his arms and inspected them. “I feel rather alive.” His eyes narrowed. “Or does my appearance insult you eyes?”

“I am Groot?”

“I don’t know, Groot,” Rocket snapped exasperated. “Care to enlighten us, Thor? I wanna shoot something, this guy seems fit.”

“No!” Thor shouted, jumping to his feet and putting Rocket’s gun to the ground. “Whatever you do, don’t shoot.”

Drax lifted a sword. “I can slice.”

Thor groaned. “Do not hurt him! Not with blasters, or guns, or knives or whatever comes to your mind. Do you understand me?”

“Who is this?” Nebula demanded. “He seems familiar.”

Loki huffed and changed to his Aesir form. “I dare say. You spent a long time putting knives through me.”

Finally, Nebula recognized him. “Loki!” She leapt at him. Loki took a defense stance, but Stormbreaker cut right through the sword aiming at his heart. 

“Enough!” Thor roared. The remaining guests of the bar hurried to the exit, and soon only the guardians and an indifferent bar keeper were left.

Nebula turned her head to Thor. “He worked for my father,” she spat. 

Quill let out a hiss. “Why is he still here? I thought this Iron guy killed them!”

Fury sparkled in Drax’s eyes. “Who cares. I smell revenge!”

“Stand back!” Enough was enough. Thor positioned himself between them and his brother, only unwillingly turning his back on him. He wasn’t sure what all of this meant, but he was sure letting Loki (not Loki?) fight the Guardians wouldn’t do anything good. The alcohol whirled through his head, making him question if he only imagined the scene. Maybe he had fallen asleep on the ship?

“I’m getting bored, brother,” Loki said sardonically. “If the moment is inconvenient, we could make an appointment. I don’t want to waste your time.”

“Brother?” Quill yelled, at the same time when Thor snarled over his shoulder, “Don’t you dare move a muscle!” 

He turned his head. “Would you leave us? I have to ask him a few questions.”

Rocket was the first to retreat. “Maybe there’s something to shoot outside. Come on, Groot.”

“I am Groot!”

“Be careful what you say, or you go to bed without supper!”

They left, followed by an uncertain Mantis. Nebula, Quill and Drax didn’t falter. 

“Explain,” Quill demanded. At least they didn’t attack with their aim behind Thor’s wide shoulders.

“Dear Norns, even with our lifespan this is an irresponsible waste of time,” Loki declared and shoved Thor to the side. “I am Loki of Asgard, God of Mischief. I’d say it’s a pleasure meeting you, but clearly it’s not. Take my gratitude for saving my brother, regardless. Although you could have done a better job taking care of him. Really, Thor, you look horrible. Why didn’t you listen to mother and ate salad once in a while?”

Thor just stood there, dumbfounded. He looked down on his belly, not as flat as it was in his prime, but he had lost a lot of weight! ...what wasn’t important right now. If he had any doubt left about the man talking in front of three hostile strangers about his fitness was indeed his brother, now it was gone.

“Loki,” he said weakly. 

His brother ignored him and carried on with his monologue in front of the bewildered Guardians. “I spent the last six years around here waiting for Thor to finally show up, so if you would excuse us? My patience is spent. If you continue to unnerve me, I might kill you all just to speed things up. Well, for killing Nebula I could come up with a few more reasons. Even if I’d like to know how you ended up with these doubtful characters? But let me assure you, I can live on without the knowledge.”

Thor caught a thrown knife from Nebula, but was too slow for Loki’s dagger. It got stuck in her mechanical arm. Quill and Drax came surging forwards, roaring, and Thor had enough. He seized Loki at the collar, summoned Stormbreaker and used her to fly out of the bar. 

Only several miles away they landed. Thor’s head spun, if from the alcohol or the events of the last minutes he didn’t know. Wearily he eyed his brother. “Can you illuminate me? I don’t have the slightest idea what just happened.”

Absolutely furious, Loki waved with more daggers. “The bitch tried to kill me! Let’s go back, I want to tear her apart!”

“Please,” Thor all but begged. Yet again tears filled his eyes, and he wiped them away angrily. “What did you do? You promised… but you’re here… I can’t-”

Sudden dizziness clouded his view, and he swayed. Loki vanished the daggers and a look of concern flickered across his face. “Are you alright, brother?”

“I think I’ve never been farther away from alright,” Thor mumbled. He let his eyes wander over the dark landscape. Stars blinked dimly. “The universe is at peace, isn’t it? I can’t sense reality shattering.” He nodded solemnly. “I’m hallucinating. Quill’s going to kill me in the morning.”

“Thor. Look at me.”

He closed his eyes tiredly. “Go away. You’re not real. I was a fool. Thinking it would help me to see you one last time.” He blinked. “Wait. Did I go back? Was it in my head too?”

Terror creeped in Loki’s voice. “Forgive me my casual manner of speaking, but you’re freaking me out. Brother, _look at me_!”

Sighing, Thor obeyed. Loki stepped into his space and grabbed his chin. “You’re not crazy. I’m here.”

One tear found its way down on Thor’s cheek. “You can’t be. Banner said-”

“Fine!” Loki screamed. “Let’s go to Banner then! Can you control the Bifröst in your state?”

Thor held Stormbreaker up. “We’ll see.”

 

When they arrived on Midgard, it was long past midnight, but the lights of Banner’s lab were on. Thor stepped in. “Banner?”

Clattering from an adjacent room disturbed the silence. “Huh? Who’s there?”

Opening the door, Thor came to meet his friend. “It’s me, Banner. I broke reality.”

Only now Banner looked up from his work, still distracted by the charts. “What did you break? Did you step on the separator? I shouldn’t keep it near the door, but-” He stopped dead in his track. “Loki?”

Loki waved awkwardly, half behind Thor. “Hello, Bruce. Or Hulk? I’m not sure how to address you properly.”

“You are dead,” Banner stated fiercely. Well, at least that meant Thor was not dreaming. Probably. This would turn into a nightmare, for sure. 

“Thor, what did you do?”

“I went back in time and talked to him. I thought I could do no harm, but he saw the future and now he’s here. So, I guess I messed up. Royally.” 

“Oh no. No, no, no…” If he wasn’t already, the news would turn him green otherwise, of that Thor was sure. He ran to the back of the lab, activating a screen and typing in a few commands. After examining the output thoroughly, he frowned.

“You didn’t break reality. Everything’s fine. How’s that even possible?”

Both of them now stared at Loki, who shrugged nonchalantly. “I told you I would take care of it.”

“But you died!”

Now Loki smirked. “Did I? You should know better than trust your eyes around me. If you had practiced your own magic in your youth, maybe you could see through me. But all you were ever interested in was lightning.” 

Thor felt like having a stroke. Bruce seemed to be in no better state of mind. “What did you do?”

“Thanks to my brother, I knew exactly what awaited me. When I unleashed the Hulk… or you, honestly, this is weird!” He looked around in sympathy, but they both just glared at him.

“Well, when Thanos was distracted handing your ass to you,” Banner winced, remembering. “I cast an illusion of myself over one of the bodies and went for the last escape pod in disguise. No one realized I made it out. All I had to do then was to go to this horrible planet and wait for Thor to come back from his trip.” He pointed at his brother.

“So?” Thor asked hollowly. 

“So, for all you knew I was dead. That means I didn’t change what happened to you. No parallel timelines. No destruction of the galaxy.”

“But you died.”

Clearly, Loki got impatient. “You don’t listen. You only thought I died. I never did.”

Still Thor didn’t understand. But Bruce began to smile. “Amazing. You created the perfect loophole.”

Thor turned his head, very slowly. “Do you say everything’s fine? He’s here, alive, and no one has to die a horrible death because of it?”

“That’s what I was trying to explain to you for hours now!” Loki rarely screamed this loud.

Thor didn’t mind. “I got you back.”

“Aye.”

“For good.”

“Aye!”

“And I'm allowed to keep you near?”

“Brother, I swear -”

They would never know what he was going to swear, for Thor crashed into him and tried to get a hold of all of him at once. He buried his head in Loki’s shoulder, clasping his back and his head, and started weeping. “I got you back.”

Loki patted his head awkwardly, looking nervously at Banner. “And I you.”

Banner coughed slightly and went away, murmuring something about giving them a moment. 

Thor kept on sobbing and clutching at his brother, though Loki tried to wiggle out of the embrace. “There are cameras all over the place!”

“I don’t care.”

“Well, _I_ do. Let's go.”

When Thor didn’t react, he transformed to a snake and wrapped himself around Thor’s neck. 

_”We go out of here now!”_ a voice in Thor’s head hissed. 

“But we didn’t say goodbye to Banner!” Thor objected halfheartedly. The snake opened its mouth and showed off an impressive set of poison fangs, so Thor relented. “Where do you want to go?”

A vision appeared in his head, from a Norwegian cliff he knew well. He walked out of the facility, and swung Stormbreaker.

Dim twilight awaited them in Norway. Thor took a look at New Asgard, not far away, but covered in mist. Then he concentrated his attention on the snake again. “Do you stab me now?”

The snake’s green eyes twinkled and blurred. In an instant his brother stood next to him, watching the sea thoughtfully. “I’m not in the mood right now. I merely wished for us to speak in private, well - without you wishing me away.”

Thor’s expression darkened. “I would never wish you away. I just don’t trust my mind any longer. You said things to me, that day on the Statesman… I hoped for so long you would come back to me, I couldn’t accept it when you actually did. I’m a moron.”

Affection shone in Loki’s eyes. “Indeed you are. Always were.”

Thor smiled weakly. “I still don’t understand it fully. I’m just… glad.”

“Yes. Me too.” Loki cleared his throat. “It was… _very_ hard for me, the last six years. I was stuck on this nornsforsaken place, knowing you hurt so much you could barely bear it, and could do nothing against it. It was very tempting to come back here, but I knew it was too risky. If anyone had discovered me, it would have been all for naught.”

“You’re impossible,” Thor chuckled. Then he went serious again. “When I came back from time traveling, I was equally relieved and disappointed nothing had changed. A part of me longed desperately for you to throw all caution to the wind. It’s pathetic.”

Loki smirked. “It’s not very heroic, I give you that. But I’m here now.”

“I don’t know,” Thor briefly hesitated, “If that’s enough to mend me. I feel broken beyond repair, brother. Still.”

“Ah, brother, that’s alright. What are a few years? You have all time in the world now to heal.”

As if Loki could sense Thor’s doubts, he stepped forward and finally, finally! wrapped his arms around Thor. This time he allowed Thor to sink to the embrace without retreating. 

They stood there for a long time, until Thor felt the first rays of a faint summer sun caressing his face. He pulled away, only enough to look into Loki’s eyes, and cocked an eyebrow. Loki just laughed, before he carefully, almost reluctantly detangled himself from his brother. “I think we owe an explanation to some of your friends.”

Thor’s face went pale and he cursed. “Nebula will be fuming.”

 

When they arrived at the planet Thor still didn’t know how to name, the Benatar was there. They entered the ship carefully, to find the Guardians assembled on the bridge, arguing. This time no knives flew. Although if glimpses contained the power of killing, Nebula would have sent them both to Valhalla.

“I clarified to her she was at a time working for Thanos, too,” Rocket said casually, quickly getting to the receiving end of Nebula’s glares. 

“And we guess the past tense applies to him as well,” Quill admitted through gritted teeth. 

Thor could sense Loki’s uneasiness without looking at him and put a hand on his shoulder. The reassurance wasn’t rejected. As his brother remained uncharacteristically silent, he took the floor. “I apologize for last night. I was unable to cope with the situation.”

“That’s nothing new,” Rocket snickered. “So, what’s the plan now? Are you still sticking around?” 

Uncertainty filled Thor’s mind. He hadn’t thought about the future, what Loki’s return meant for him. Would Loki want to stay with them? More importantly, would he decide to stay with _Thor_? Would he rather return to Midgard and settle on New Asgard? Although it was beyond all question for Thor to go wherever his brother went, that didn’t mean Loki felt the same way. Fear gripped his heart. They shared a look, Thor’s hand on Loki’s shoulder involuntarily tightening. 

Loki spoke first. “It’s your decision. For the first time in centuries, we don’t have any responsibilities to anyone right now. As long as we leave this forsaken place and never come back, it’s fine to me.”

Relief flooded through Thor. He turned his head to the Guardians. “If you have us, I’d like to stay. This ship is ideal for being irresponsible, it occurs to me.”

Quill grimaced. “We don’t have enough rooms.”

Interfering, Thor declared brightly, “That’s no problem. He can bunk with me.”

Everyone watched him with raised eyebrows, including his brother. “What?” Thor asked irritated. “I won’t let you out of my sight, at least for the next century.”

Groaning, Loki shook off his hand. “I all but wish to go back and let Thanos choke me.”

“So that’s settled,” Rocket cut in. “Welcome to the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Nebula just stood and left the room. 

 

Nobody saw her during the day. On Loki’s request, they left the planet whose name Thor would likely never know, and soon open space surrounded them. It felt like home to Thor. 

At night, when they settled down to their room, and after Loki wove several spells to clean up Thor’s mess and “make the space inhabitable to civilized beings”, there was a loud bang on the door. Loki immediately tensed up and Thor rolled his eyes. 

“Yes?” he called. The door opened, and Nebula stepped in. Loki’s eyes narrowed.

She held her hands up in a demonstration of peace. “I came to propose a truce. I won’t kill you. You won’t kill me. Okay?”

All Loki gave her was a brief nod, but she didn’t appear to be bothered by the rudeness. She just turned around and clicked the door shut. Worried, Thor shot Loki a glance. His brother’s eyes still were fixated on the door. Thor stood and activated the lock. He never did it before, because he was among friends, but Loki seemed reassured by the gesture. He tossed himself on the bed and slipped to the left side, where the bed frame touched the wall. He liked the support on his back, Thor assumed, for he had done the same when they shared a bed on the Statesman. Always keeping Thor between himself and potential danger. Thor couldn’t possibly feel more honoured.

He lay down as well, on his back, and refrained from looking at Loki. It was easier that way, he imagined. “Will you be alright with her on the same ship?” he asked gently. 

The mattress dipped, and he could feel Loki move uncomfortably. “Time will tell. Certainly.”

Something in Thor’s stomach objected to his words. He could feel the urge to punish Nebula for putting his brother at unease, even if it was her mere presence which caused it. 

Sensing Thor’s swelling wrath, Loki reached for his hand and took hold of his brother’s wrist. “I suppose I have to remind myself she was as much a prisoner as I was. When she wasn’t busy torturing me, I could hear her scream, sometimes. It gave me satisfaction, then. Now… I don’t know. There’s only numbness.” 

“If you don’t want to remain with the Guardians, it’s okay. We surely find something else-”

“It’s alright, brother,” Loki interrupted him. “Presumably I spent too long running away from my demons. Maybe I should try to face them for diversion.”

Thor wasn’t sure about this view of things, but he didn’t gainsay. Loki let his hand go and moved so he could see Thor. “May I ask you a question?”

“You just did it.”

“Don’t be smart, brother. It doesn’t suit you. When I used Gungnir on you, I only saw your memories. Not your thoughts or emotions. Since I wondered... When it wasn’t your intention to warn me about Thanos, why did you come back and speak to me at all?”

Not meeting his gaze, Thor sighed. “You saw what happened when Rocket and I went to Asgard to retrieve the Aether. I spoke to mother, and it helped me to come to terms with her death in some way. I hoped it would work a second time. And with you being Odin, I thought you would be too busy with maintaining your facade to pay my changes much attention.”

“Oaf,” Loki said. “You always underestimate me.”

“I do. And I was never more grateful for this recurring mistake.”

Loki snickered. “It still seems irrational to me. How could you hope to make peace with me, when you knew I had to wear father’s face?”

The way he casually referred to Odin as _father_ made Thor’s heart swell with affection. “It wasn’t only about listening to you. I wanted you to hear a few things, too. How I cherished our years together, for example. And-” he hesitated, unsure how to continue. 

“And?”

“You will laugh at me.”

“I always laugh at you.”

“I couldn’t remember the last time I told you I loved you.” He popped up to an elbow and looked down in Loki’s surprised face. “I know, you think it’s childish and sentimental and foolish, but it bothered me.” He swallowed. “The last words you heard from my mouth were ‘you are the worst’. I couldn’t take them back, then. I thought we’d have time. It wasn’t until Thanos threw you at my feet that I realized _what_ he was.”

Loki stared at him in silence, before a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “You could take them back now.”

Thor groaned and fell back on his pillow. “I’m not sure I want to anymore.”

Now, Loki finally did as predicted and laughed. “Oh, come on. Tell me how great I am and what a fool you are.”

Their bantering felt light, like in their youth long gone, not the cruel exchanges they indulged in during the last decades. 

“You’re great and I’m a fool.”

“I’m sure you could do better. Speak about how handsome I am and what a Lebowski you are.”

“Why do you have to remember this one. Stark and his thrice cursed nicknames.” The reminder of Stark stung a little. Thor ignored the pain.

“I have to admit, I don’t know what a Lebowski is. But I will call you by it.”

Shaking his head, Thor smiled. “On our next visit to Midgard, I shall introduce you to the great cinematic works of art. I’m sure you will find better suited names to call me.”

“Don’t be such a Lebowski.”

“Loki.”

“Oh, are you lebowskied already?”

“You are ridiculous.”

“How lebowskiish of you.”

At this point, both of them couldn’t hold their laughter any longer. After Loki’s chuckles finally died down, his eyes became thoughtful again. “It was 35 years ago.”

“What?”

“The last time you used the word ‘love’ in the same sentence as my name. If I recall correctly, it was something like ‘Yes, Mother, of course I love Loki, but you must see he isn’t the best company on hunting trips’.”

Thor winced, cheerfulness gone. Obviously _he_ had been the worst, not Loki. 

“Don’t you start beating yourself up again. Affection has little place in the life of a king. And I hated these hunting trips anyway.”

His words appeased Thor to an extent. “Oh, but that’s not true. Don’t you recall the Bilgesnipe hunt on Vanaheim? You enjoyed it far too much for my liking.” 

“It doesn’t count, because it had nothing to do with the hunt. More with this handmaiden of Freya. Sigyn. She was the first woman who preferred me to you.”

“Only because you told her I was a Bilgesnipe you turned into an Aesir!”

“No, no, that was a joke and she knew it. She just had taste.”

They talked about other hunting trips and adventures, until they were both too exhausted to speak longer. Loki switched of the lights with a lazy flick of two fingers and they settled down for the night. 

But sleep did not claim Thor immediately. Evaluating the movements behind his back, he figured Loki hadn’t found rest yet, either. “Loki?”

“Thor?”

“By now you know I love you, don’t you?” 

A sigh. “Of course, brother. Go to sleep.”

Thor smiled to himself. He started to drift away, slowly. 

“Are you asleep, Thor?”

“Yesss….”

“Very well.”

A pause. 

“By now you know I love you as well, right?”

Instead of an answer Thor turned around to lay on his stomach and threw one arm over Loki. He heard his brother humming approvingly and fell asleep in an instant. And for the first time in years, Thor couldn’t recall any nightmares when he woke.

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes I just need a little Fluff.  
> My problem with Endgame is its lack of logic. Okay, I'm no physicist, just a mathematican, but I tried to do the time travel more realistically while keeping Endgame's basic concept.  
> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
